Capture of Nashville

The Capture of Nashville was a military engagement between the Union States and Confederate States that took place on December 23, 1864. The Union Army's 1st San Andrean Volunteers were the unit responsible for capturing Nashville from the Texan militiamen, conquering Chihuahua from the CSA.

Background
With the closing of the New Mexico Campaign in 1862, the Confederates retreated back to Texas and the California Column was able to recapture Arizona and New Mexico. The Union Army was reluctant to invade Texas, as it was a risky venture, and an invasion from Mississippi by Nathaniel Banks met failure in the early 1864 Red River Campaign. But the Californians had skirmished with Confederates in western Texas, and set out to divert Confederate troops from fighting in the Mississippi Theater of the war. James W. O'Shea, the Colonel in charge of the 1st San Andrean Volunteers, planned to capture the southern Texan region of Chihuahua, lightly defended.

The capital of Chihuahua was Nashville, which was held by only a few Texan militia troops. If the region of Chihuahua could be captured, Jefferson Davis would have to dispatch extra troops to defend Texas and stop his defense of Virginia and the Deep South.

Battle
The Union Army launched an assault on the city, rather than waiting to besiege it. Confederate commander James E. Slaughter prepared a defense for the walls before leaving for West Texas to gather reinforcements to assist in the defense of the city. However, the Americans easily captured the city due to the lack of suplies of the defenders and because of the lack of experience among the Texas Volunteers. After a brief assault the Union raised the US Flag above the city in place of the Confederate flag, and the bulk of the CSA army surrendered.

Aftermath
Following the capture of Chihuahua, the Confederate position in Texas was threatened, so the CSA was divided between war in the East and in the West.